20, male, I could use some advice.

[Zgb9793]

I am 20 years old, male, going to a technical college taking just general courses this semester, I was planning on going into nursing but the more I research, the more I am skeptical. I was planning on getting my 2 year and then trying to find a job and once I've got my foot in the door I'd try and get my employer to fund my next two years for my BSN. It is not looking like any of this is possible anymore, like many people I was lead to believe there is a shortage of nurses and I figured being a male nurse I'd have a leg up on the women because theres a lot less men in the nursing world. My question to you is, should I even bother, I'd be willing to move anywhere in the country if I had to(seriously anywhere, even alaska). I know nobody is hiring new grads, much less a nurse with a 2 year degree and no experience...I've even been reading hospitals won't take nurses with anything but hospital experience so volunteering at blood drives and whatever would just be a waste of time? I apologize for the giant post, I really appreciate the advice.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

You lost me at..." a leg up on the women".

Please do us a favor and take THAT attitude elsewhere.

That was a tad bit insulting.

[janeybirdRN]

I think he meant the field is in need of more diversity. When I applied to college as a chemistry major I got right in and it may have helped being female.

[yukka99]

My advice is to secure an entry level position within a hospital setting while you're in nursing school. That's what I did, got my school paid for and got my first RN job on the unit I worked on.

[DrkCocoMurse215]

there's some truth to what you're saying but there's always a way. I've seen it done, cna to lpn to RN to bsn. Through each step the person gained valuable experience and eventually got to where they wanted to be and that's the same route I'm going in. Everyone is different and has different situations but if nursing is something you really want to do, not just for the money or job, then the journey will be worth it. It can be done.

[Argo]

As someone that has been in a hiring position for the past number of years, men do have a leg up in many scenarios. The women posting in this thread know this but just WANT to be offended by it. If you have 30 women and one man on a unit, the balance is off. Having worked in OR for 17 years in various positions I know that there is a certain balance to make things run smoother. Too many women it gets catty, too many men it gets too laid back......

Having a 60/40ish split makes things run better. 60% women 40% men. Even shooting for this goal I typically get 1 male applying for every 30-40 females...

There is no science behind it, just observation and learned hiring practices.

[RobtheORNurse]

You are mistaken in your assumptions young man. There are plenty of jobs out there for 2 year degree nurses. They are not the "cool" jobs like ICU, ER, or OR but plenty of med-surg, acute care jobs. That is where you hone your skills and develop yourself professionally. After that, if you are good at what you do, are professional and a hard worker, there is no limit to the jobs you can get. They will typically be staff level until you get the BSN or higher. Go for it, you never win the prize if you don't start the race.